Sputum-box



APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.19I9.

H. H. COLESTOCK.

SPUTUM Box.

Patented rime 22, 1920. F/g. 2

v H. H. COLESTOCK.

SPUTUM BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.1919.

Patented June 22, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/Wgl 4 struction,

umrrosrarss Hanan H'Ufnrnng cornsrocx, `or s'r. i PAUL, MINNEsorA.

" sru'rumrox,

To-all whom z'mayconoemn' v i f Be it known thatL'HARRY ILIUN'IER'-COLE-y s'rooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in thecounty of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,fhaveinvented a new and yuseful Sputum-BoX-,of which the following isa specification.

It appears thatthe best sputum boxes or cups so far produced, or now'V in use, are eitherv leaky, spillable or dor not otherwise meet the requirements of hygienic safety, convenience or general usefulness, and are intended only for specific uses, for instance, to be carried in, thehand or pocket or set upon a table or vany handy convenience, none;

beingl suitable or hygienieally safe to use under cover inbed'. 1k l n f The all-metal mechanically operated and cleanable devices sometimes used, .ha-ve been condemned, partly because ,of therisk of con-L tamination; and infection in the process of cleansing and disposing of their contents,

and partly through the inconvenience and disagreeablenessl ofthe necessary act of cleansing;

The foidabiaeexibie and burnabie suer',

to be used'kin a separate metallic case to pro-l tect ithas provednot only leakable,`rhy gienically unsafe andf obnoxious while in use, but, as well, inconvenient, unsafe tohandle and disagreeable in the-extreme to-take care of,f-after,using,in order to dispose ofit.

. Itis the object of myinvention to overcome all these imperfections and provide, first, ay burnable water-tight sputum box of simple and? rigid construction with an in-k take. opening so located that when in use, andl filled nearlyy half fullffits intended safety eapacity)fit can betlilted at-any angle, except face (or intake side) downward,

without the contents coming iin contact with.

either the intake opening or close-ttingfin-l closing lid yand yet can be filled to its entire capacity (when. laid on its? back) andgthen tiltedv at any. angle-including-,face downward, without leakage when lidis closed;

second, toprovide a. protected absorbent pad near intake the-purposes of which vare (a). to absorb accidentally -mlsdire'ctedl sputum'- and' to fill the functionzof a cut-ofi from the lip of sput-um when-it is inclined to be elastic and adherent asis frequently the case; ,and (1b) if:y medicated, toy disinfect said sputum; third,- to providein a morecom lete cona combined" extendi lef-.chute y sp-ecihcauontf Lettersratent. Patentedgime Application ii1edMay5, 1919'.l Serial No. 294,674'.

hingedlid' and springable flanges that are for the'purpose kof acting as guards and furnishing Vanother method to secure a water-V tightit as well as side pressureY to serve as astop for lidwhen closed; and, in'addition',

to produce a desirably resisting action for said .lid in opening and closing; fourth, to provide an improved funnel-like intake' and trap; fifth, to provide'` yet more elaborate constructionfin the incorporation of a hopper frame for thepurpose of, (a)-addition.`

-al-ly supporting the face and back walls of box, (b) acting as'aguard or trap. (so thatI of burnable materialy that it is-complete'in itself and self-sufficient foruse without the necessity of a separate case or yreceptacle to'y protect or carry it about in. A

Lattain Vthese objects by the` mechanisme and construction illustrated iny the accomf panying drawings, in which- M Figure l is a broken plan view of the-face, or' intake, side ,off boX showing the lid opened; Fig. l2 a vertical'section of Fig. 1-

'tion on the line -B 3, Fig.` 1'; Fig. 4 a .plan4 view of box (with lid closed) showing ai simpler construction than in. Figs. 1, 2,? 3, 6 and 7; Fig', 5 `a vertical section'on the line 5v 5, Fig/ with the additionofqdotted lines;

vshowing hinge action of lid; Fig; 6 a plan view of box (with lid closed) showing circular shape of a varying form off construction` showing a simple form of'rh'opper and trap; Fig. .7 ay cross-section ony theline 7 7 Fig. 6; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 respectively are face,

side and end elevations of lid (illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) showingthe springingtend encykof the bended'parts; Fig, 11 a plan Viewy of hopper frame independent of box ;Fi'g. 12v aplan viewvofhopper frame'showing an ex.-

PATENT f oFF-lcs.

lwater-tight ysputum box so constructed out tension that provides for inortises and a partial bottom to hopper; Fig. 13 a portion of Fig. 7 with the addition of an independent cover and dotted lines showing same removed; Fig.l 14 a face elevation of extra cover attached to lid in one form of the con struction as shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Box A, lid B, Bb or Ba, absorbing pad C, funnel D or hopper E pad shield F and support G are the main parts of my invention. Box A, A and A (as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and?) consists of box, straw or cardy board or any suitable burnable material and its parts are of water-proof composition or that which is water-proofed in advance `of being shaped into parts, or in advance of assembling; or a water-proof bond or cement (for instance parailinA or bees wax) may be used to secure the parts together and at the same time applied in waterproofing exposed surfaces; or waterproofing mav be done separately after as# sembling. 'lhe foregoing will apply to all the parts. i

i rllhe form of construction as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is designed to trap' and secure all that can be put into thebox and effectually prevent the return of any sputum into the funnel-like entrance after it has once passed througheno matter at what angle the box may be tilted even with the lid open. This is primarily due to the fact oftheintake being centrally located. VBut in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the intake opening is situatedsomewhat above the center lengthwise of the box in order to provide extra; room in oneend (3) so that in emergency occasions when moreA space is required than is generally the case an excess amount may be accommodated, though said excess Vamount is liable to reenter the funnel-like intake when tilted, for instance,\with the roomiest side up 5 notwithstanding all of which-the box is still secure against leakage or spilling when lid is closed no matter in what position, as aforesaid, the box may be placed.

Lid B (see Figs. `4, 5, Gand 7 may consist of two pieces of boX, straw or card' boa-rd, (or' anysuitable material) pasted together or said lid may be pressed into the required shape from a single piece. If of two pieces, as illustrated in iigs. 4 and 5, top piece 20 serves as a projecting cover for that portion of face 1 near opening 4 or for the protection of absorbing pad C (hereinafter described) that is, when pad C is incorporatedA into the construction. In the process of assembling a portion of piece 20 is cemented to 1, the hinge action being accomplished bypprevious scoring or grooving at 23. A lifting iiap 22 is formed from'20. 21 may consist of wood, cork or any suitable material, or mayV be the same piece'thatwis punched out of face 1 in producing opening 4 and is preferably slightly tapered 0r 2, 4 and 6) may consist of blotting paper,

beveled (corlnlike) in orderito ,secure an easy entering and suitably binding fit when closed. y y

Absorbent pad (1,0 and C (see Figs. 1,

and may be suitably medicated, preferably in advance of being formed intoshapefor assembling, or any suitable powdered or granulated material may be used and shaped into required form by sprinkling onto cement previously "applied wherepad is to be. The purposes of pad @have been heretofore suggested. f 1

Funnel D (in Figs. 6 and 7) `is intended to receive sputum and guide it to small opening which issituated in the center of the interior laterally and a little below the center per` pendicularly and serves the purpose of an absolute trap against the return of sputum afteronce having passed through. Figs. 1, 2, 8, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14represent my invention in itsmost elaborate constructionin` which-` jf Lid Ba (separately illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10) consists of two pieces of any suitable material" cemented' together, piece 45 preferably box or straw board and piece 40 preferablycard boardg40 being so shaped and bent as to form a chute having two springable-side iianges 41 and one spring# 95 able combined flange and lifting flap 42. 41d (see'Figs, 2 and 9) is that portion of the chute-flanges 41 that projects rearward and extends beyond the line of the center of the hinge action of lid Ba, the purpose oit/41a 100 being to secure 41 in mortises 53 (hereinafter mentioned) even lwhen said lidis opened a greater distancethan a right angle. The hinge action at 43 is accomplished in the same manner as described Vof lid B. 105 Lid Ba is secured to `box A by cementing at its projection 44. Piece 45 is used chiefly for additional strength andto secure flanges 41 and 42 in proper place Hopper""frame E (see F ig.11) may weon; 110

sist of a frame (preferably of wood) having sides 50 `and ends 51, or in the most elaborate construction, as illustrated in Figs. ;1,

3 and 12, an extension 50a is provided that serves, first, asu a'hygienic guardto flanges 115 41 of lid Ba; second as a guide to opening in `partial bottom 52; and third, ahanger for the same (52). By the additionof extension50a slots or mortises 53 are provided thatserve for thereception and securing of chute flanges 41 of lid Ba.,` The ends "51" of Y frame E are of less depth than sides l 50', thus leaving an open space (see arrow in Fig. 2) which forms the inlet to box A and which ends 51'- ,in connection with par- 125 tial bottom 52 act as a trap the samev as de scribed of funnel Din Fivs. Gand 7. l

` Extension cover F (see` Figs; 1, 2 and 14) may be attached to;lid Ba for the purpose of hygienicprotectionto absorbing pad C 1'30 (that is, when such pad is vused in the `construction). The attaching of cover F renders unnecessary the flap 42 on lid Ba, therefore 42 is abolished and flap 62 is formed out of a portion of cover F to take its place.

An independent cover Bb (Fig.l 13) may be used. i

Supports Gr and G (Figs. 1, 2, 4; and 5) are used only if necessary to givey rigidityy to face l and back 2.

Parts Gr, G', and 52 may consist of card,

`paste board or any suitable material. f

I do not restrict` my rights to all the detail precisely as herewith set forth and I reserve the privilege of the adoptionof any variation (in harmony with the claims here-y to) that my'experience and expediency may suggest. For instance, I have selected the detail of.construction-of box A, as illus trated in Figs. 1 and 5 v,as probably affording the most practical :plan of manufacture -for institutions of limited equipment but in manufacturing on a large scale I should pre*- fer to use drawing and forming dies and to form therewith .box A out of two pieces4 on the order as illustrated inl Fig. 7 while extending into the opening of saidbox, the said flanges having an extension beyond the hinged lid and proj ecting'cover, the said lid center of the hinge Vaction'of the lid, all substantiallyH as described. p

2. A Water-proof sputum box having ka 45 havingk a chute with springable side flanges extending into the opening of said box, the said flanges having an extension beyond the center of the hinge action of the lid which *also has a frontal combined springable flange and lifting flap, all substantially as set forth. J j

A Water-proof sputum box having a hinged lid and projecting cover, the said lid having a chutewvith springable side flanges extending into the opening of said box, the

saidV flanges havingan extensionbeyond the 'center of the hinge action of the lid which valso has a frontal combined springable flange and lifting flap, all in combination 60 with a combined hopper and trap having mortises to hold the side flanges of said chute, all substantially as set forth.

4. A Water-proof sputumbox having a hinged lid and projecting cover, the said lid having afchutewith springable side flanges extending into the opening of said box, the

saidllanges having lan extension beyond the ycenter of the hinge action of the lid which also has a frontal combined springable flange and lifting flap,all 1n combination With an absorbent padlocatcd nearsaid opening, and a ycombined hopper and trap having mortises to hold the side flanges of said chute, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day ofFebruary, A. D.

` HARRY HUNTER COLESTOCK. lVitnesses: y

C. F. CLARK,

ANDREW lWATHIsnN. 

